Daffy wants to be the top star in the studio. To this end, he persuades Porky to resign from the Schlesinger studios to pursue a career in feature films as Bette Davis' leading man. Porky goes to Leon Schlesinger and asks to have his contract torn up. Schlesinger reluctantly agrees, and wishes Porky the best of luck. Once Porky is out of earshot, Schlesinger assures the audience that Porky will be back. Porky spends the rest of the film trying to get into the lots and sets of an unnamed studio, with little success. After several failures from convincing the security guardto let him in, dressing up as Oliver Hardy to gain access, and inadvertently interrupting the shooting of a dance film, he decides to see if Schlesinger will take him back. He returns to Schlesinger's office after frantically dodging his cartooned car in and out of live-action Los Angeles traffic, only to see Daffy doing a wild audition to become the new star of Warner Bros. cartoons, openly disparaging Porky. Porky then takes Daffy with him to another room, where he beats Daffy up. After this, he hurriedly runs into Schlesinger's office to beg for his job back. Schlesinger, laughing heartily and saying he knew he would return, reveals that he did not really rip up Porky's contract, and happily tells him to get back to work. Porky gladly thanks him and runs back into the animation paper that he was in when the short started. Daffy, still not quite having learned his lesson after being beaten by Porky, again attempts to persuade Porky to resign and work with Greta Garbo, only to get splattered with a tomato, which irritates him.
Mel Blanc as the voice of Animator, Security Guard, Director and Stagehands
Production notes
On this occasion, Daffy Duck is seen as a much more self-centered individual who shows willingness to do anything to get what he wants, whether it was money or fame, instead of being seen as a trouble inducing screwball. This, in turn, is indirectly a foreshadowing of the character he would later become, particularly in Rabbit Fire, and onward. It was also Friz Freleng's first film back at the studio after being at MGM for two years. The film has become one of the better known shorts made by Warner Bros, and in 1994 was voted #34 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time by members of the animation field.
First Daffy Duck cartoon directed by Friz Freleng.
In a real-life parallel of the storyline, the short was directed by Friz Freleng, who had just returned to Schlesinger after a stint as a director at MGM's cartoon division.
As noted, many staff members have cameos in this short:
*Leon Schlesinger — appears as himself
*Chuck Jones — one of the crowd rushing out during the lunch break
*Bob Clampett — another one of the Termite Terrace employees rushing frantically off to lunch
*Henry Binder, Paul Marin — stagehands also calling for quiet. Binder is also the stagehand throwing Porky off the set
This is the second longest looney tune ever made in the golden age of animation, running for 9 minutes and 45 seconds. The longest looney tunes is the 1942 Bob Clampett beating You Ought to be in Pictures by 3 seconds.
Because the animation unit did not have access to location sound recording equipment, all of the live-action footage was shot silent. The voices had to be dubbed in later.
To keep the short on-budget, relatively few special effects were used to marry the animation and live action. Where possible, the crew simply took still pictures of the office background and had them enlarged and placed directly on the animation stand.
Despite being in black and white, this short was shown regularly on Looney Tunes on Nickelodeon, particularly during the Nick at Nite version.
In 1995, the film was computer colorized and became a regular part of the Cartoon Network rotation. The film could also be seen in its original black and white form on the network's installment show Late Night Black and White.
Availability
You Ought to Be in Pictures is available on ', on Disc 4, on ', on Disc 1 and also on Porky Pig 101, Disc 4. Prior to that, it had been included as part of the 1985 VHS Golden Jubilee release "Porky Pig's Screwball Comedies".
